HISTORY OF THE BADMINTON

The history of the development of modern badminton is a very long and complex one. Below is a brief
account of the history of the game.

Origins of the Game

The sport of badminton has its origins in ancient civilisations in Europe and Asia. The ancient game
known as battledore (bat or paddle) and shuttlecock probably originated more than 2000 years ago.

In the 1600s Battledore and Shuttlecock was an upper class pastime in England and many European
countries. Battledore and Shuttlecock was simply two people hitting a shuttlecock backwards and
forwards with a simple bat as many times as they could without allowing it to hit the ground.

Contemporary Badminton

A contemporary form of badminton - a game called ‘Poon’, was played in India in the 1800s where a net
was introduced and players hit the shuttlecock across the net. British officers in the mid 1800’s took this
game back to England and it was introduced as a game for the guests of the Duke of Beaufort at his
stately home ‘Badminton’ in Gloucestershire, England where it became popular.

In March 1898, the first Open Tournament was held at Guildford the first 'All England' Championships
were held the following year. Denmark, the USA and Canada became ardent followers of the game
during the 1930s.

IBF Established in 1934

Then in 1934, the International Badminton Federation was formed, with the initial members including
England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Holland, Canada, New Zealand and France, with India
joining as an affiliate in 1936.

The first major IBF tournament was the Thomas Cup (world men's team championships) in 1948. Since
then, the number of world events has increased with the addition of the Uber Cup (women’s team),
World Championships (individual events), Sudirman Cup (mixed team), World Junior Championships and
the World Grand Prix Finals.
Commonwealth Games Sport - 1966

Badminton was introduced as a Commonwealth Games program sport in Kingston Jamaica in 1966 and
has been part of every Commonwealth Games program since then. Initially all five disciplines were
included – singles (men, women), doubles (men, women) and mixed doubles with the Teams Event
include mood in the program in later Commonwealth Games.

Olympic Games Sport - 1992

Badminton is a relatively new Olympic Games sport. After being a demonstration sport in Munich in
1972, badminton became an Olympic sport in Barcelona in 1992 with the singles and doubles disciplines
introduced for the first time in the Olympic Games. In Atlanta in 1996, a mixed doubles event was
included and this is the only mixed doubles event in all of the Olympic sports.

The following countries have won medals in badminton at an Olympic Games since its introduction in
1992 - China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Russia.

Susi Susanti from Indonesia won the women’s singles in Barcelona, becoming Indonesia’s first medallist
in the 40 years Indonesia had competed at the Games. In the same Olympic Games, Alan Budi Kusama
won Indonesia’s second gold medal in the men’s badminton singles.

BADMINTON EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES

Different versions of badminton have been played for centuries, but it was the game of "Poona" in India
that was the basis for the game of badminton we play today. In the 1860's a group of stationed British
army officers learned the game and took it back with them from India. The game grew in popularity until
1895 when the Badminton Association of England was formed, along with the rules of game play that
are used around the world even today. In order to play this form of badminton, certain equipment and
facilities are needed.
Equipment

Racket

The badminton racket is one of the most important tools a player has in the game. Badminton rackets
are much lighter than most other sports rackets because they are made from materials such as carbon
fiber or lighter metals such as aluminum. Parts of the racket include the head, throat, shaft and handle
with a maximum length of 27.77 inches and a width of 9 inches. It Strings that are stretched across the
opening of the racket in a checkerboard pattern, which acts as the hitting surface. Badminton rackets can
vary widely in cost depending on whether they are purchased as part of a basic backyard set or as more
expensive professional models.

Shuttlecock

The badminton shuttlecock, also referred to as a shuttle or birdie, acts similarly to a ball in other racket
sports. However, the design of the birdie creates more drag as it is propelled through the air due to its
feathered shape. The shuttlecock is made up of a cone shape with a hard cork at its tip. Shuttlecocks can
be made from a variety of materials -- more expensive models are actually made from feathers, and less
expensive models are made from plastic feathers. The shuttle has 16 feathers attached to the base and
the length of the feathers range between 2.44 and 2.75 inches.
Net

A mesh net divides the badminton court into two sides. A badminton net is placed lower than a
volleyball net at five feet and one inch high on the sides and five feet high in the center. The length may
vary depending on whether doubles or singles are playing, with singles reaching 17 feet and doubles
reaching 22 feet. The net is 30 inches wide with a 3-inch white tape doubled over the top.

Facilities

The badminton court should be 44 feet long by 22 feet wide if playing doubles, and 44 feet long by 17
feet wide for singles. If the facility is indoors, there needs to be enough height for the shuttlecock to be
able to float across the net without hitting the ceiling. This height will vary depending on the strength of
the players.

Badminton Terms
Here is a list of some of the terminology used in the sport of badminton.

Alley - side-extension of the court by l½ feet on both sides that is used for doubles play.

Back Alley - Area between the back boundary line and the long service line for doubles.
Backcourt - the back third of the court, in the area of the back boundary lines.

Baseline - Back boundary line at each end of the court, that runs parallel to the net.

Bird or birdie - another name for the shuttlecock

Carry - An illegal tactic, also called a sling or throw, in which the shuttle is caught and held on the racket
and then slung during the execution of a stroke.

Center Line - Line perpendicular to the net that separates the left and right service courts.

Clear - A shot hit deep to the opponent’s back court.

Court - Area of play, as defined by the outer boundary lines.

Drive - A fast and low shot that makes a horizontal flight over the net.

Drop - A shot hit sohly and with finesse to fall rapidly and close to the net on the opponent’s side.

Fault - A violation of the playing rules, either in serving, receiving, or during play.

Flick - A quick wrist and forearm rotation that surprises an opponent by changing an apparently soft shot
into a faster passing one; used primarily on the serve and at the net.

Forecourt - Front third of the court, between the net and the short service line.

Hairpin Net Shot - Shot made from below and very close to the net with the shuttle rising, just clearing
the net, and then dropping sharply down the other side. The shuttle’s flight approximates the shape of a
hairpin.

Halfcourt Shot - A shot hit low and to midcourt, used effectively in doubles against the up-and-back
formation.

Kill - Fast, downward shot that cannot be returned; a "putaway."

Let - A legitimate cessation of play to allow a rally to be replayed.

Long Service Line - In singles, the back boundary line. In doubles a line 2 l/2 feet inside the back
boundary line. The serve may not go past this line.

Match - A series of games (at U.S. Olympic Festival-’93 it is three out of five), to determine a winner.
Midcourt - The middle third of the court, halfway between the net and the back boundary line.

Net Shot - Shot hit from the forecourt that just clears the net and drops sharply.

Push Shot - Gentle shot played by pushing the shuttle with little wrist motion, usually from net or
midcourt to the opponent’s midcourt.
Racket - Instrument used by playerto hit shuttlecock Weight:About3 ounces. Length: 27 inches. Made of:
Ceramic, graphite, or boron frame; beef-gut string. Cost: $60-$175 (unstrung).

Rally – this occurs when the players hit the bird back and forth several times before one side scores a
point

Serve or Service – players put the shuttlecock into play for points by “serving” it to opponents, hitting it
over the net into a special part of the court near their opponent

Service Court - Area into which the serve must be delivered. Different for singles and doubles play.

Short Service Line - The line 6 l/2 feet from the net which a serve must reach to be legal.

Shuttlecock - thje name for the object that players hit, made of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of
feathers in an open conical shape.

Smash – when a shuttle is floated high into the air, a player has time to unleash a powerful overhand
shot straight to the floor of the opposing court

Wood Shot - Shot that results when the base of the shuttle is hit by the frame of the racket. Once illegal,
this shot was ruled acceptable by the International Badminton Federation in 1963.

Badminton Rules
Badminton
Badminton is a sport that has been around since the 16th century. The sport is played indoors and the
pinnacle comes from its Olympic events. The sport is very popular in Asian countries such as China and
India with these countries leading the way by producing some of the world’s best players.

Object Of The Game

The object of badminton is to hit the shuttlecock over the net and have it land in the designated court
areas. If your opponent manages to return the shuttlecock then a rally occurs. If you win this rally i.e.
force your opponent to hit the shuttlecock out or into the net then you win a point. You are required to
win 21 points to win a set with most matches being best of 3 sets. Points can be won on either serve.

Players & Equipment

There are two forms of badminton, singles and doubles (it’s also possible to play mixed doubles). Each
player is allowed to use a stringed racket (similar to a tennis racket but with the head being smaller) and
a shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is made up of half round ball at the bottom and a feather like material
surrounding the top. You can only really hit the bottom of the shuttlecock and as gravity comes into play
will always revert the ball side facing down. You may only hit the shuttlecock once before it either hits
the ground or goes over the net.

The court measures 6.1m wide and 13.4m long. Across the middle of the rectangular court is a net which
runs at 1.55m. Running along each side of the court are two tram lines. The inside lines are used as the
parameter for singles match whilst the outside line is used for a doubles match.

Scoring
A point is scored when you successfully hit the shuttlecock over the net and land it in your opponent’s
court before they hit it. A point can also be gained when your opponent hits the shuttlecock into either
the net or outside the parameters.

Winning The Game

To win a game you must reach 21 points before your opponent. If you do so then you will have won that
set. If the scores are tied at 20-20 then it comes down to whichever player manages to get two clear
points ahead. If the points are still tied at 29-29 then the next point will decide the winner of the set.
Winning the overall game will require you to win 2 out of the 3 sets played.

Rules of Badminton
A game can take place with either two (singles) or four (doubles) players.

An official match has to be played indoors on the proper court dimensions. The dimensions are 6.1m by
13.4m, The net is situated through the middle of the court and is set at 1.55m.

To score a point the shuttlecock must hit within the parameters of the opponents court.

If the shuttlecock hits the net or lands out then a point is awarded to your opponent.

Players must serve diagonally across the net to their opponent. As points are won then serving stations
move from one side to the other. There are no second serves so if your first serve goes out then your
opponent wins the point.

A serve must be hit underarm and below the servers waist. No overarm serves are allowed.
Each game will start with a toss to determine which player will serve first and which side of the court the
opponent would like to start from.

Once the shuttlecock is ‘live’ then a player may move around the court as they wish. They are permitted
to hit the shuttlecock from out of the playing area.

If a player touches the net with any part of their body or racket then it is deemed a fault and their
opponent receives the point.

A fault is also called if a player deliberately distracts their opponent, the shuttlecock is caught in the
racket then flung, the shuttlecock is hit twice or if the player continues to infract with the laws of
badminton.

Each game is umpired by a referee on a high chair who overlooks the game. There are also line judges
who monitor if the shuttlecock lands in or not. The referee has overriding calls on infringements and
faults.

Let may be called by the referee if an unforeseen or accidental circumstance arose. These may include
the shuttlecock getting stuck in the bet, server serving out of turn, one player was not ready or a
decision which is too close to call.

The game has only two rest periods coming the form of a 90 second rest after the first game and a 5
minute rest period after the second game.

If the laws are continuously broken by a player then the referee holds the power to dock that player of
points with persisting fouls receiving a forfeit of the set or even the match.

Fundamental Skills in Badminton

To be a good badminton player, you need to develop your basic skills. You should understand how to
hold the racket, serve and return the shuttlecock, and move around the court. You will also need to be
familiar with the basic rules of badminton, which are governed by the Badminton World Federation.
Once you understand the fundamental skills and rules of badminton, you can work toward mastering the
game.
Serving

Serve the shuttlecock with your nondominant side closest to the net -- so if you are right-handed, your
left side would face the net. Hold the shuttlecock in your nondominant hand and your racket in your
dominant hand. Hold the shuttlecock just below shoulder height and draw your racket back on your
dominant side, at knee height with your wrist cocked. Drop the shuttlecock and quickly draw your racket
forward, swinging underhand, to strike it as you shift your weight forward. Hit the shuttlecock at knee
height, snapping your wrist as you do so.

Clearing

Clearing is a technique used to return the shuttlecock, with an emphasis on simply getting the
shuttlecock back on your opponent's side rather than scoring. Clearing underhand uses the same
technique as a serve -- the only difference is that you need to move to the shuttlecock instead of
dropping it to the desired position. To clear overhand, draw the racket over your shoulder and shift your
weight back. Then draw it over your shoulder, shifting your weight forward as you strike the shuttlecock
at an upward -- or open-faced -- angle. You can also clear with a backhand, using the backside of your
racket on the opposite side of your body.

Other Skills

Other return methods are focused on scoring. To smash the shuttlecock, use the same technique as an
overhand clear but strike the shuttlecock at a downward -- or closed-faced -- angle, aiming the
shuttlecock at the floor on your opponent's side. A drive is a hard shot intended to score. Drive the
shuttlecock using a quick hit with minimal arc, leading the shot with your elbow. The racket should hit
the shuttlecock straight on, resulting in a hard, straight shot. Use a drop shot to gently hit the shuttlecock
over the net and block incoming shuttlecocks to keep them on your opponent's side. Between shots,
move around the court with your knees bent to keep a low center of balance, allowing you to react
quickly to the play.

Scoring

Badminton matches consist of the best of three games -- meaning that a player or team needs to win
two games. Each game is played to 21 points. A point is awarded every time there is a serve, either to
the server or the defender. A point is awarded to the opposing player or team if a player or team lets the
shuttlecock land in play on his side, or if he hits it out of play on the opponent's side.

Singles Play
In singles play, the server serves from the right service court when his score is even and the left service
court when his score is odd. So if the server has 2 points, for example, he would serve from the right of
the court -- when his score increases to 3 points, he would switch and serve from the left. If the server
scores, he gets to serve again. If the defender scores, he becomes the server.

Doubles Play

Doubles play features two players on either team. Each half of the court is divided into two service
courts, which each player serves from. The players do not switch service courts unless a point is scored.
The serving team serves from the right when the score is even and from the left when the score is odd. If
the serving team scores, then they will serve again; the same server will serve, switching to the alternate
serving court. If the defending team scores, they will become the servers.

Grip

You will want to learn how to hold your racket with the forehand to hit shuttles on that side of your body
and backhand to hit on the opposite side. You will use a forehand grip to hit above your head as well.
You can hit the shuttle using a backhand grip with your elbow up or down. It is good to practice hitting
with these grips to improve your skills.

Footwork

Your footwork can bring more success to your game if you learn the basics of moving on the court and
practice them. Your ready position should include standing in the center of the court if you are playing
singles and bending your knees with your body relaxed and waiting for play. Move your feet by shuffling
them or gliding from left to right and stepping or lunging forward. To move backward, go fast enough
that you get behind the shuttle to hit it hard enough.

Serving

Four types of badminton serves include: 1) the high serve to move your opponent to the back of his or
her side of the court; 2) the low serve to make your opponent have to get under the shuttle; 3) the flick
serve that is used occasionally to confuse your opponent who thinks you are going to hit a low serve; 4)
the drive serve where you hit the shuttle low, fast and to the rear of the receiver's court as a strategy
move that will result in a missed hit.
Scoring

Simple badminton rules include a scoring system where you play until you score 21 points. Three games
constitute a match. A point is scored each time there is a serve and the side that wins the rally scores the
point. You have to win by at least 2 points unless the game reaches 29 and there is still not a winner. The
first side to score 30 points wins. If you win a game you will serve first in the next game.

Singles

To begin a singles game of badminton you will serve from the right side of the court. After the initial
serve, the position depends on the server's score. If your score is even, you serve from the right and if it
is odd you serve from the left. In addition, if the server wins the rally he will continue to serve, and if the
receiver wins, the next serve goes to the receiver.

Doubles

In doubles play, serving goes back and forth between partners. The serving side is the same as in singles
play in terms of even score serves from right and odd score from left. The serving partner alternates
court sides if she continues to score during a rally and will serve until a rally is lost. When the serve
comes back to the team the partner will serve next.

Additional Rules

The Badminton World Federation rules state that there is a 60-second interval when the winning team
scores the 11th point. In addition, two-minute intervals are taken between games. If a match reaches
three games, there is a change of ends when the winning side scores 11 points.

Badminton Officials

Badminton officials are responsible to ensure a fair play in a badminton game.

Badminton officials are often seen in high level badminton tournaments such as the Grand Prix, Grand
Prix Gold, and Super Series as well as higher level tournaments.

The officials in badminton are:

Umpire
Service Judge

Line Judges

1. Umpire

The umpire is the main judge in a game.

badminton umpire

The picture above shows you the position of the umpire's

seat. Badminton umpires are required to sit on a high chair to carry out their duties.

The umpire must ensure everything runs smoothly during a game. If there are any disputes, the umpire
will have the final say.

This includes overruling decisions made by service judges or line judges. But this is not very common
unless a CLEAR error is made.

The umpire is also responsible for detecting faults committed by players at the net area. The possible
faults around the net area are:

Players can hit the shuttlecock ONLY after the shuttle passes the net to their side of the court

Player or the player's racket CANNOT touch the net when a rally is in play.

It is also the umpire's role to watch out for contact faults. This means that when the rally is in play, the
players are not allowed to make contact with the shuttlecock with any part of their body. Only the
players' rackets are allowed to make contact with the shuttlecock.
Other roles of the umpire include:

Approve the change of shuttles requested by the players

Approve requests from the players' to towel down.

Give warnings to players who misbehave

Prevent the players from delaying the match

Service Judge

Another one of the badminton officials is the service judge.

badminton service judges

The picture above shows you the position of the service

judge's seat.

The position of the service judge's seat (right beside the badminton court) provides the ideal spot to look
out for SERVICE FAULTS. The service judge's eyes will be approximately horizontal to the player's 'waist
line'.

Click here to read more on service faults.

Basically the roles of a service judge are:

Make service fault calls

Change shuttlecocks for the players

The service fault calls are usually final and will not be overruled by the umpire because the position of
the umpire's seat is NOT a good spot to detect for service faults.

Line Judges

badminton line judges

The pictures above shows you the positions of every line judge around the badminton court.

Basically every line judge will sit horizontally with an In/out border line of the badminton court.

In the picture above, there are 10 line judges surrounding the court, each looking out on their respective
lines.

Badminton line judges are responsible for making an IN or OUT call. This is usually done via badminton
sign language

If the shuttle lands outside the court, the line judge will open his/her arms wide, indicating that the
shuttle has went out.

If the shuttle lands inside the court, the line judge will point the arm towards the line, indicating that the
shuttle has landed inside.

However, the decisions made by line judges can be overruled by the umpire if the umpire sees that a
clear error has been made by the line judge.

OFFICIATING BADMINTON

Badminton is one of the best recreational sports nowadays. It is very economical and can be played by
people of all ages and varying skills and levels. It enjoyable game for beginners but at the same time, can
be an exciting game that requires stamina, speed, cleverness, and agility. In playing badminton, game
officials are needed to be in full control of the match.
Good officiating brings out the best in the playing
ability of each player, while poor officiating can easily
ruin the game.

Playing court dimensions

The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both singles and
doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles only. The doubles court
is wider than the singles court, but both are of same length. The exception, which often causes confusion
to newer players, is that the doubles court has a shorter serve-length dimension.

The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 ft), and in singles this width is reduced to 5.18 metres (17 ft).
The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 ft). The service courts are marked by a centre line dividing
the width of the court, by a short service line at a distance of 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 inch) from the net, and
by the outer side and back boundaries. In doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line,
which is 0.76 metres (2 ft 6 inch) from the back boundary.

The net is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5 ft) high in the centre. The net
posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played.

The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not mentioned in the Laws of Badminton.
Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be hit on a high serve.
GAME RULES AND SCORING

1. The current scoring system in badminton is the 3 × 21 rally point scoring system. This means that three
games are played to 21 points each, with a required two point difference between scores (meaning
scores can go above 21, to a maximum of 30).

2. No point is earned when a player commits a fault.

3. A good serve must go directly into the receiver’s box.

4. In single, the court is long and narrow while in doubles it’s short and wide.

SERVICE RULES:

A. Neither side shall cause undue delay to the delivery of the service once the server and the receiver
are ready for the service.

B. The server and the receiver shall stand within diagonally opposite service courts without touching the
boundary lines of these service courts.

C. Some part of both feet of the server and the receiver shall remain in contact with the surface of the
court in a stationary position from the start of the service until the service is delivered.

D. The server’s racket shall initially hit the base of the shuttle.

E. The whole shuttle shall be below the server’s waist at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket.

F. The waist shall be considered to be an imaginary line round the body, level with the lowest part of the
server’s bottom rib.

G. The shaft of the server’s racket at the instant of hitting the shuttle shall be pointing in a downward
direction.

H. The movement of the server’s racket shall continue forwards from the start of the service until the
service is delivered.

I. The flight of the shuttle shall be upwards from the server’s racket to pass over the net so that, if not
intercepted, it shall land in the receiver’s service court.

J. In attempting to serve, the server shall not miss the shuttle.

K. Once the players are ready for the service, the first forward movement of the server’s racket head
shall be the start of the service.

L. The server shall not serve before the receiver is ready. However, the receiver shall be considered to
have been ready if a return of the service is attempted.

M. In doubles, during the delivery of service, the partners may take up any positions within their
respective courts, which do not unsighted the opposing server or receiver.

BADMINTON FAULTS:

1. If in play, the shuttle lands outside the boundary of the court, passes through or under the net,
1touches the ceiling or side walls, touches the dress of a player.

2. If in play, a player invades an opponent’s court over the net with the racket or person except such as
an opponent is obstructed or distracted.

3. If in play, the shuttle is caught and hold on the racket during the execution of a stroke.

4. During play, the shuttle is hit twice in succession by the same player with two strokes.

5.When the shuttle is caught on the net and remains suspended on top, or on service, passing over the
net, is caught in the net.

6. During service, the server accidentally touches the service line or any line boundary.

7. The server’s racket did not hit initially the base of the shuttle.

8. During the service, the server serves and hitting the shuttle above his waist line.

9. As the server hits the shuttle the racket’s head is obviously not lower than the handle.

LETS:

1.The server serves before the receiver is ready.

2. During the service, the server and receiver are both faulted.

3. A line judge is unsighted and the umpire is unable to make decision.

4. During play, the shuttle disintegrates and the base completely separates from the rest of the

shuttle,

5. When the game is interrupted by the outside factor like the sunlight, wind or a shuttlecock landed in
your court from other court.

6. It is interrupted by correction of an error in playing order or ends.

Badminton Tournaments

Transitioning from casual badminton to competitive badminton can seem a bit daunting. The world of
competitive badminton is actually fairly mellow and offers a great way to meet other players. You may be
wondering, “How do I register? How long will it take? How good are the other players?” This guide will
cover all of these valid questions and more to ease your anxiety about your first tournament.

Finding a Badminton Tournament

This can be a difficult task, because there isn’t a convenient way for first-timers to find local
competitions. Although information about local badminton tournaments might be limited on the
internet, that should still be the first place to look. Typically, badminton-dedicated gyms will host
tournaments a few times a year, so checking a gym’s website is a good bet. Even if you come up empty,
you can always contact the gym via email or phone. Beyond that, you should consider heading to local
gyms and simply asking around. Employees at recreation centers might not have any quality information.
They could, however, find other gyms that you can contact.

Badminton Events

Once you find a tournament, decide what event you want to play. The events are:

Men’s singles: Each team is comprised of a single male

Women’s singles: Each team is comprised of a single female

Men’s doubles: Each team is comprised of two males

Women’s doubles: Each team is comprised of two females

Mixed doubles: Each team is comprised of one male and one female

If you wish to play in a doubles event, but you’re without a partner, there is a chance you still may be
able to play. Most tournaments will have players being added or dropped on the day of the tournament,
so there will be a few people stranded without a teammate. You shouldn’t rely on finding a partner at
the tournament, but it’s always a last-minute option. Aside from each event, there are four flights of
difficulty in which you can compete. The flights are:

A Flight: The highest level of play with skill levels ranging from highly competitive players to professional
players. There is typically a cash prize for all events in this flight.
B Flight: This is just a step below A Flight, because you’ll find semi-professional and highly experienced
players in this flight.

C Flight: This flight features younger players who have been training hard, and more experienced players
who play competitively only sparingly. Normally, C players will have one to two years of competitive
experience.

D Flight: Here you’ll find an even greater range of players, from beginners to semi-retired. Although it’s
the largest of the flights, you should start here for your first tournament.

In most tournaments, you’ll be able to sign up for two flights, but they’ll have to be neighboring flights.
Additionally, if you’re playing more than one event, you cannot play different flights for each event. For
example, if you’re playing C and D men’s singles, you cannot play B and C men’s doubles. The trouble
here is playing a B flight in one event and skipping a flight to play D in another event. This helps prevent
players from competing in flights lower than their skill level, which is otherwise known as “sandbagging.”

Badminton Tournament Formats

There are three distinct styles of tournament formats for badminton. The style is solely up to the
tournament director, but will not be changed when the tournament is in progress. The three styles are:

Consolation: The most popular of the three, consolation style guarantees players at least two games
before being eliminated. There will be a main bracket and a consolation bracket. Initially, all players or
teams will start in the main bracket, with the consolation bracket being completely empty. After the first
round of matches, any team that loses will immediately enter the consolation bracket. A loss in the
second round of the main bracket or first round of the consolation bracket will eliminate a team from the
tournament. As such, a team is guaranteed at least two matches, regardless of record.

Single-elimination: Some tournaments will adopt this style when faced with time or court-space
constraints. Single-elimination tournaments have almost half the amount of matches as consolation
tournaments, so it is ideal for smaller gyms. Single-elimination is straight forward in that a team will
continue to play until it loses.

Round-robin: Very rarely will a tournament use this format, because it’s so time-consuming. Round-robin
has each team play every other team in the same flight and event. For example, if there are five women’s
singles teams, each team will play four times, once against each of the other teams. Tournaments will
adopt this format only if a certain flight in an event has five teams or less.

You are here: HomeBadmintonBadminton GuidesIntroduction to Badminton Tournaments

Introduction to Badminton Tournaments

Transitioning from casual badminton to competitive badminton can seem a bit daunting. The world of
competitive badminton is actually fairly mellow and offers a great way to meet other players. You may be
wondering, “How do I register? How long will it take? How good are the other players?” This guide will
cover all of these valid questions and more to ease your anxiety about your first tournament.

Finding a Badminton Tournament

This can be a difficult task, because there isn’t a convenient way for first-timers to find local
competitions. Although information about local badminton tournaments might be limited on the
internet, that should still be the first place to look. Typically, badminton-dedicated gyms will host
tournaments a few times a year, so checking a gym’s website is a good bet. Even if you come up empty,
you can always contact the gym via email or phone. Beyond that, you should consider heading to local
gyms and simply asking around. Employees at recreation centers might not have any quality information.
They could, however, find other gyms that you can contact.

Badminton Events

Once you find a tournament, decide what event you want to play. The events are:

Men’s singles: Each team is comprised of a single male

Women’s singles: Each team is comprised of a single female

Men’s doubles: Each team is comprised of two males

Women’s doubles: Each team is comprised of two females

Mixed doubles: Each team is comprised of one male and one female

If you wish to play in a doubles event, but you’re without a partner, there is a chance you still may be
able to play. Most tournaments will have players being added or dropped on the day of the tournament,
so there will be a few people stranded without a teammate. You shouldn’t rely on finding a partner at
the tournament, but it’s always a last-minute option. Aside from each event, there are four flights of
difficulty in which you can compete. The flights are:

A Flight: The highest level of play with skill levels ranging from highly competitive players to professional
players. There is typically a cash prize for all events in this flight.

B Flight: This is just a step below A Flight, because you’ll find semi-professional and highly experienced
players in this flight.

C Flight: This flight features younger players who have been training hard, and more experienced players
who play competitively only sparingly. Normally, C players will have one to two years of competitive
experience.

D Flight: Here you’ll find an even greater range of players, from beginners to semi-retired. Although it’s
the largest of the flights, you should start here for your first tournament.
In most tournaments, you’ll be able to sign up for two flights, but they’ll have to be neighboring flights.
Additionally, if you’re playing more than one event, you cannot play different flights for each event. For
example, if you’re playing C and D men’s singles, you cannot play B and C men’s doubles. The trouble
here is playing a B flight in one event and skipping a flight to play D in another event. This helps prevent
players from competing in flights lower than their skill level, which is otherwise known as “sandbagging.”

Badminton Tournament Formats

There are three distinct styles of tournament formats for badminton. The style is solely up to the
tournament director, but will not be changed when the tournament is in progress. The three styles are:

Consolation: The most popular of the three, consolation style guarantees players at least two games
before being eliminated. There will be a main bracket and a consolation bracket. Initially, all players or
teams will start in the main bracket, with the consolation bracket being completely empty. After the first
round of matches, any team that loses will immediately enter the consolation bracket. A loss in the
second round of the main bracket or first round of the consolation bracket will eliminate a team from the
tournament. As such, a team is guaranteed at least two matches, regardless of record.

Single-elimination: Some tournaments will adopt this style when faced with time or court-space
constraints. Single-elimination tournaments have almost half the amount of matches as consolation
tournaments, so it is ideal for smaller gyms. Single-elimination is straight forward in that a team will
continue to play until it loses.

Round-robin: Very rarely will a tournament use this format, because it’s so time-consuming. Round-robin
has each team play every other team in the same flight and event. For example, if there are five women’s
singles teams, each team will play four times, once against each of the other teams. Tournaments will
adopt this format only if a certain flight in an event has five teams or less.

Checklist for a Badminton Tournament

The night before a tournament can make any player a bit anxious, so knowing that you have everything
you’ll need should ease your nerves a bit. The things provided to you by a tournament will vary, so it’s
safest to just assume that nothing will be provided. This means you should have the following items:

Rackets: If you have the money, it’s smart to bring an extra racket or two in case your favorite racket or
its strings break.

Shuttlecocks: Tournaments will always require feather shuttlecocks for matches, so you should definitely
get your own. One tube of a dozen feather shuttlecocks should be sufficient since your opponents and
your partner should also offer up their shuttlecocks for use.

Shoes: Having a pair of badminton shoes will help you move around the court a bit easier, but it’s not an
absolute must.

Racket Grip: This is only necessary if you feel like your racket grip is wearing thin.
Money: Make sure to bring cash with you to pay for your tournament fees. Oftentimes, a vendor will be
present at the tournament and you can purchase any badminton equipment you may need.

Food and drinks: Playing in a tournament can be an exhausting affair. Bring lots of drinks for hydration
and light snacks to replenish your energy.

Clothing and accessories: The lack of circulation for indoor sports can make players sweat excessively.
Bring extra clothes and a towel to stave off the slickness. Also don’t forget to bring any braces or hair ties
that you may need.

Match Schedule & Format

Tournaments typically start in the morning and last all day. Specific times should be listed on the
tournament website or relayed to you via email. When you arrive at the tournament, there will be a sign-
in desk where you pay your entry fee and sign a waiver form. The brackets should be set up along a wall
along with a schedule for approximate match times. If you’d like to warm-up before the tournament, the
hour before it starts is usually reserved for that purpose. Also, it’s typical to see long delays between
your matches. Stay warm and game-ready by hitting around on an open court.

The standard structure of matches will be 21-point games in a best-of-three-games format. The only
exception occurs when matches are played in the consolation bracket. Normally, a consolation match will
only consist of one game to 21 points. This can vary among tournaments, so it’s best to check with the
tournament staff.

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